State Route 79: Gila River bridge project

Overview

The Arizona Department of Transportation completed a project to replace the State Route 79 Gila River bridge in Florence. Construction began in February 2022 and the project was completed June 2023.

Key elements of the new bridge included:

• A single lane in each direction with 8 foot shoulders.
• A protected pedestrian walkway on the west side of the bridge.

Construction sequencing

The new bridge was constructed using an Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) technique to minimize traffic impacts on the heavily-used SR 79 corridor. An animation of the sequencing is available. 

Under this approach, the new bridge piers were built while the existing bridge remained in use. The upper portion of the new bridge was built in two halves, one on each side of the existing bridge. 

Stay Informed

Schedules are subject to change based on weather and other unforeseen factors. Subscribe to receive project updates and traffic alerts by email. For more information, please call the ADOT Bilingual Project Information Line at 855.712.8530 or submit a question or comment by email.  For real-time highway conditions statewide, visit ADOT’s Traveler Information Site at www.az511.gov, follow ADOT on Twitter (@ArizonaDOT) or call 511, except while driving.